Tips for more protein

mdupon70997

I will be 13 weeks tomorrow and I'm really worried that I'm not getting enough protein everyday and eating waaaay too much carbs (on some days.) Even though my appetite is better than it has been this trimester, I still have absolutely no appetite for animal proteins, especially chicken. I want to eat so that my baby gets the proper nutrition for growth and development, but I don't know what more to do to help my appetite. Any tips for protein packed meals and snacks? It doesn't help that I don't love cooking. Here's what I ate today (so embarrassing):
Breakfast - three blueberry Eggo waffles with margarine and syrup, small cup of coffee with cream and sugar
Lunch - two slices of pepperoni and cheese pizza, two sugar cookies, mint and honey green tea
Snack - four bite size candy bars, salt and vinegar chips, one sugar cookie, mint and honey green tea, watermelon chunk
Supper - nothing yet...no appetite

cmcards83

Dinner time I can't stomach anything either so I go with a green smoothie. I use Manitoba Harvest Hemp Protein powder and add spinach, 1/2 a banana or berries, and a bit of yogurt. This can also be used for breakfast or lunch as a replacement. Try making chicken breasts on Sunday for the week with steamed veggies and brown rice or quinoa for sides. While pizza may taste good, those fast carbs do nothing for your blood sugar or extra non baby weight. Snacks should be fruit like an apple with Greek yogurt for protein and good belly probiotics that come with it. I buy plain greek yogurt and add my own nuts, Stevia, or berries. HTH!

tahitiandreamin

I've been the same way... and I LOVE meat.  I've been increasing my intake of protein rich grains like quinoa and hemp hearts.

Like @DC2London I have found that hiding meat really works well.  The thought of a hamburger or steak turns my stomach but I have no problem with chilli.

blu-eyedwife

Quinoa is an excellent source of protein that still seems carby.  I made a quinoa enchilada casserole the other night that was like a baked pasta dish.  Or you could use it to make a baked pasta dish!

Also snacks are a great way to sneak in some extra protein - almonds, hummus and veggies, even quesadillas.  When I was pregnant with my son I used oatmeal as a snack a lot (easy to eat, kept me full a while, nice and warm!) and you can easily stir some peanut/almond butter into that. 

There's nothing inherently wrong with carbs, but if you want to increase your protein, combining them with carbs is a really effective way to do it.  (You know, like pizza!)   So maybe combine your watermelon with some (pasteurized) feta, dip your chips in hummus,  peanut butter and pretzels, (personally I love apple slices dipped in yogurt, but I don't know if everyone is as in to that combination.)  

It also sounds like you veer more to the sweet stuff than salty, so maybe freeze some yogurt and use that like "ice cream."

runnergirl4

Do you like hard boiled eggs? I eat 1 or 2 hard boiled eggs every morning. Sometimes I chop them up, mix them with avocado and put on grain-free toast (Ezekiel).  Also low-fat cottage cheese has a lot of protein.  Greek yogurt - You could add fruit to the yogurt to sweeten it up and then dip your waffles in it...

Sue&Pasquale

Breakfast - three blueberry Eggo waffles with margarine and syrup, small cup of coffee with cream and sugar-  Have eggs instead with a piece of whole wheat toast.

Lunch - two slices of pepperoni and cheese pizza, two sugar cookies, mint and honey green tea- have a large salad with grilled chicken or a turkey sandwich with whole wheat bread (yes I know no deli meats but I ate turkey with no nitrates)- a peanut and jelly sandwich. instead of cookies some fruit. banana, apple, etc

Snack - four bite size candy bars, salt and vinegar chips, one sugar cookie, mint and honey green tea, watermelon chunk- Your snacks have no nutritional value. Snack should be some protein and some healthy fats.  Some cottage cheese with some nuts, Greek yogurt with blueberries, hummus and carrots, protein bar, nuts and cheese sticks,  a smoothie made with spinach, fruit, protein powder and 1/2 of avocado.

Supper - nothing yet...no appetite- you need to eat. I would try some eggs, veggies with some protein

mdupon70997

Thanks y'all. It really has been hard to get more protein and less processed stuff, but sometimes that's all I have an appetite for and if I try to eat other things it's like eating cardboard (especially chicken...bleh!) I've been trying to do better though. It seems like this past week or so I've been more into fruits, salads, and eggs.